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THE CENTER FOR COMMON GROUND AND THE JAMES BROWN ESTATE, WITH PRIMARY WAVE MUSIC, ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
LAUNCHING TODAY, THE PARTNERSHIP WILL INCLUDE SEVERAL INITIATIVES TO HELP MOBILIZE BLACK VOTERS AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY
“One thing that people need to remember and keep in mind always is that individuals are complicated. Communities are complicated. Political opinion within black communities ranged widely. There were people who had all sorts of different views including radically conflicting views. James Brown was part of that too. That’s right: ‘America Is My Home’ right next to ‘Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.’”
– Randall Kennedy, Law Professor at Harvard University
New York, NY (August 26, 2024) – The James Brown Estate, with Primary Wave Music, and the Center For Common Ground announce today their exciting new partnership. The partnership will see the estate and voting organization partner on several powerful initiatives to help mobilize Black voters ahead of Election Day this November. The Center for Common Ground is a non-partisan voting rights organization dedicated to empowering Black voters in Southern and Southeastern states facing voter suppression tactics. Recognizing that Mr. Brown was not only known for his groundbreaking contributions to music, but also for being a staunch advocate of social issues including education and voting rights, this partnership will celebrate and honor his lifelong commitment to encouraging Black political participation.
“Say it loud (I’m Black and I’m proud)” – James Brown
Across his incomparable 50+ year career in music, Mr. Brown used his platform to encourage the black community to exercise their right to vote and to participate actively in the political process. From his work during the Civil Rights era to his songs with political messages to his public appearances and speeches, Mr. Brown never missed an opportunity to share with his community the importance of education and protecting voting rights. Together with the James Brown Estate, OBEY, and Primary Wave, the Center for Common Ground will continue the vital work of mobilizing and empowering Black voters despite ongoing efforts to suppress their voices.
“Our silence is deafening and deadly.” – James Brown
The partnership with the Center For Common Ground will rally around Mr. Brown’s song “We Got To Change” and will include a mailing of 40,000 postcards featuring a custom James Brown design by Shepard Fairey and OBEY, a social media campaign of collaboration posts going live weekly with election information in the states the Center for Common Ground works in which include Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Texas & Arizona, and additional initiatives to be announced soon that will reach more voters with details they need to cast a ballot this fall. In addition, Fairey and his team at OBEY have confirmed a run of apparel and fine art screen prints, that will be available on September 10, featuring the new art of James Brown by Shepard Fairey and will be donating a portion of the proceeds to go to the Center For Common Ground. The apparel can be found at obeyclothing.com and the prints will be for sale at obeygiant.com.
“Don’t terrorize. Organize. Don’t burn. Give kids a chance to learn.” – James Brown
About The Center for Common Ground
The Center for Common Ground is a non-partisan voting rights organization committed to mobilizing Black voters in voter suppression states across the South and Southeast. In 2024, we aim to have 18 million voter contacts with Black voters through on-the-ground canvassing, phone banking, text messaging, and postcarding.
About Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey is a contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, and founder of OBEY Clothing and creative agency Studio Number One. In 1989, while at Rhode Island School of Design studying for his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration, Shepard Fairey created the “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker that later evolved into the OBEY GIANT art campaign. In 2008, his portrait of then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama became an internationally recognized emblem of hope. He is also known for the “We The People” campaign, debuted during the 2017 Women’s Marches worldwide. He released a new portrait of Vice President Kamala Harris titled “Kamala Harris Forward” as a piece of grassroots activism in support of the Harris-Walz ticket for the 2024 presidential election. Fairey has painted more than 135 public murals, become one of the most sought-after and provocative artists globally, changing the way people converse about art and view the urban landscape.
